The present study investigated predictors of coping and adjustment for lesbian, gay and bisexual college students. Data on all variables was collected across four time points in the semester. Stress, as measured by type of stress, whether the stress was related to being gay and the overall level of stress, did not change over this time period. Change over time was not observed for any of the coping variables or for adjustment. Significant predictors for both coping and adjustment, however, were observed. Anxiety was found to be a significant predictor for both planning coping and avoidant coping. At high levels, it served to predict greater use of planning coping at the end of the semester. Self-esteem was found to be predictive of avoidant coping. High self-esteem predicted less use of avoidant coping across the semester.
Many different variables served as predictors for adjustment. In social adjustment, self-esteem served to predict greater adjustment, but none of the forms of coping were observed to be significant predictors. For most forms of academic adjustment, coping had no impact on the level of adjustment throughout the semester. The one exception to this finding was for academic initiative. Students that used greater amounts of avoidant coping were found to have lower levels of academic initiative. Greater levels of anxiety were found to predict lower adjustment in both academic initiative but greater adjustment in academic achievement. For program satisfaction, the final academic adjustment variable, school year had an effect on adjustment. Those students who were in their later years of college had lower levels of program satisfaction.